Sometimes it seems like folly trying to sell blown glass pieces on the internet. Not only is it a substantial challenge to try to convey the look and feel of the glass via mere photos, it's simply impossible to fully re-create pieces that we show here. Of course, if you've been to our shop, seen the variation of pieces, and watched the glassblowing - you'll fully understand this. If not, it may require a leap of faith to order something here.
As far as the photos here, I do my best to make sure that they are accurate representations of the pieces in them. Glass is not something you can simply take snapshots of. For instance, the "color temperatures" are influenced not only by what kind of light bulb is illuminating a lamp shade, but what kind of lighting in the gallery (including indirect sunlight) is reflecting off the glass - and whether or not some degree of flash is being used.
Another aspect that you may not realize is the variation in colors that your computer monitor or phone will be giving you. I have one specific monitor that I keep calibrated (there's a sensor that you hang over the monitor to do this), and am often disappointed at how the colors appear on other monitors.
Also, keep in mind that ALL photos you see here are of pieces we've had in the past, and NOT items that we have on hand to send you. If you think about the logistics, there's just no way to take pictures of every single item, upload each specific picture to the website for each item you might get, and then delete it from the website once the item is sold - that would involve far more time than it takes to make the items!
Also, since blown glass is 3-dimensional, I'd need to have either multiple images or those fancy rotating images to accurately display them. I am trying to include multiple images, but they'll all be from different pieces.
Beyond the photos, there are a number of other variables. The colors I use will always be in some degree of different proportions, have varying degrees of overlap, and varying degrees of density - depending on the current color mix I'm using, how hot the glass is when I add the color, and how long I allow the color to contact the clear glass as I'm adding it. And beyond that, the colors themselves change over time, batch by batch - just like paint, yarn, and most anything else involving color.
Then, there's the shape of the piece. Where there's one goal for the Floats (round), there's some degree of variation with any other item. Keep in mind that NO MOLDS are used for shaping anything (other than the Orbs), which means that they're shaped totally free-hand. Think of it as whittling wood rather than using a table saw with guides - there is going to be some variation.
The degree of variation varies by item. I don't include Bowls on the website, or most Vases, since there's no common look to any of them (again, it's not practical to sell most pieces one by one on a website). I feel confident having Floats on the website, as well as Shades - though I may need to make 4-5 Shades to get a set of 3, for instance, to get them reasonably similar.
The bottom line is that the one thing we CAN guarantee is that each blown piece I make will look different to some degree. Fortunately, most people embrace that variation, seeing it as one of the qualities that makes blown glass special.
Of course, there are also people that have a specific image of what they want, and really need to know that what they get will fit that image. If that's you, you'd certainly be better off coming in and seeing the items "live", if at all possible.
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